New Approach to OCD Treatment May Be What's Missing

In this deeply informative episode, I’m joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Melissa Mose, LMFT, who brings 30 years of clinical experience to the table and a unique approach to treating OCD by integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) with traditional methods like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Melissa shares how a personal experience—her daughter’s sudden-onset OCD—propelled her into the world of OCD treatment and changed the direction of her career. We talk through how OCD manifests, why traditional ERP can be both life-changing and difficult for people, and how IFS can offer a more compassionate, effective way to approach healing by helping clients access their internal “Self.” Chapters: 00:00 – Intro to Melissa Mose and IFS for OCD 03:00 – Melissa’s background and shift from English literature to psychology 08:00 – Early career in teen and family systems therapy 11:00 – Her daughter’s sudden-onset OCD and the diagnosis of PANDAS 14:30 – Navigating confusion, misdiagnosis, and treatment discovery 18:00 – What OCD actually is: the obsession-compulsion cycle 22:00 – How compulsions generalize and worsen OCD 24:30 – Introduction to ERP and how it works 29:00 – What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)? 34:00 – Comparing IFS to ACT and other models 42:00 – Mapping OCD symptoms to internal "parts" using IFS 48:00 – A self-led approach to ERP: empowering the Self 50:30 – Client success stories and examples 55:00 – The rise of IFS in the OCD world 58:00 – Is IFS evidence-based for OCD? 01:00:00 – Melissa’s “Self-led ERP” model explained 01:02:00 – Workbook and practical tools coming soon 01:04:00 – How to get started with IFS 01:08:00 – Inside Out, visualization, and self-awareness 01:10:00 – Making IFS for OCD more accessible worldwide 01:12:00 – Final thoughts: hope and next steps for those struggling 📚 Resources & Links from the Episode 🔹 Melissa Mose’s Website https://www.melissamosemft.com/ 🔹 IFS for OCD Resources and Courses https://www.ifsforocd.com/blog 🔹 Melissa’s Book: Internal Family Systems Therapy for OCD: A Clinician's Guide 📘 On Amazon: Buy here 📘 On Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Internal-Family-Systems-Therapy-for-OCD-A-Clinicians-Guide/Mose/p/book/9781032583730 🔹 OCD SoCal 2025 Online Conference (November 15–16, 2025) 🌐 Full Program Info: https://ocdsocal.org/conference/ 🎟️ Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-online-ocd-conference-a-global-event-tickets-1531193865069?aff=oddtdtcreator ------ Stay connected: - Weekly newsletter: https://robertduff.substack.com – free tips, Q&A, and community updates. - My website: https://duffthepsych.com – articles, resources, and ways to work with me. - Books & guides: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00NDY4THK?ccs_id=5c5cac88-b920-4fc3-809c-f592ad3b55d3 – practical mental-health guides and workbooks. - Instagram: https://instagram.com/duffthepsych – daily insights, behind-the-scenes, and community chats. How to help the channel: 1. Like and comment to share your takeaways or questions—this helps others see the video. 2. Share the video with a friend, family member, or on social media. 3. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. Thank you for watching and supporting this mental-health community! #mentalhealth #psychology #selfhelp